The extraordinary but little-known true story of Anne Grandjean, an intersex person subjected to a cruel public trial for the crime of falling in love in 18th century France.

When Anne was born her parents sought advice from a priest as to what gender to raise her as. But when she confesses her attraction to women as an adult, he instructs her to start living as a man, reasoning only men can love women. Mocked by the townspeople for wearing men’s clothes, she flees to the city and becomes the apprentice of a tailor. Falling for his daughter, Mathilde, they marry and life seems idyllic. Until someone reveals her intersex identity, and her private life is dragged into the public eye. Accused of violating religious and legal norms, Anne is subjected to a brutal judicial system determined to define, categorise and control her body and desires.

Rooted in fact and marked by emotional restraint, Girl for a Day examines how institutions police gender and sexuality, while honouring the courage required to live truthfully. Rejecting sensationalism, this film transforms historical record into a quietly devastating meditation on identity and bodily autonomy, reflecting the continued persecution and misunderstanding intersex people face today.

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